Hair dye applicator



Jan. 12, 1943. w. STERN 2,308,215

HAIR DYE APPLICATOR Filed 5. 1941 INVENTOR BY I kals ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNI STATES Claims.

This invention relates toapplicators in general, and particularly to dispensing hair dyeapplicators.

Devices fordispensing liquids are well-known in the art. The present invention contemplatesan applicator, whereby the flowof hair dye or any other liquid held in the dispenser may be accurately controlled through the manipulation and positioning of the device'inrespect to the scalp. Dyeing of hair requires careful handling, since hair dye has to be uniformly distributed over the scalp in order to prevent streaks, which latter occur where hair dye is too generously applied, whereas other places are dyed insufiiciently.

Broadly the device consists'of adye-containing supply vessel of a rather slim, elongated construction so that the vessel itself may be used as a handle. The end of the vessel is closed by the applicator head, which is so designed that when the vessel is tilted dye matter is supplied through areplaceable applicatorelement in the applicator head to the scalp, while'when the vessel is held in a substantially horizontal position the dye is prevented from passing into the applicator element, while the latter is being used for rubbing in and distributing the already dispensed dye portion.

It is the object of this invention therefore, to provide a device whereby the dispensing of the liquid may be controlled by variously positioning the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an applicator, comprising a dye-holding handle with a broadened closure or head, in which head is formed a substantially wedge-shaped recess for accommodating an applicator element, such as wick material or hair bearing cloth or fur, and wherein a supply passage for the dye is provided extending from the interior of the handle to the applicator element, and wherein the supply passage is so designed as to pass the dye or other liquid to the applicator element when the device is tilted, and to prevent discharge of liquid when the device is held in a substantially horizontal position.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a hair dye applicator 'a substantially rounded, relatively broad applicator head, the ends of which extend sidewise from its central portion which is attached to the handle, the latter forming a supply vessel, and wherein the head is provided with an air duct adapted to connect the interior of the vessel with the atmosphere, and a supply'passage controlled by the positioning of the'device.

The foregoing and still further important objectsandadvantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description, in: connection with the accompanying drawing. which latter are intended to illustrate the principle of myinvention, without limiting it to t-he actual showing, and in which-- Fig. l is a sideelevation of an applicator, partially in section, in its tilted" position, showing one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2-is an end view of the applicator head Fig. 3 Ba partial crosssection taken onlin Fig. 4- is an end view seen from the right side meral Ill denotes an elongated, relatively slimdimensioned vessel for accommodating a supply of hairdye H. The vessel serves as handle for the device; The openend of the vessel is preferably threaded at I2 'or is otherwise adapted for accommodating the central portion l3 of applicator head l4. Thishead extends sidewise from closing-portion l3; as clearly seen'in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In the body of head I 4 there is arranged a substantially wedge-shapedrecess l 5, open atone end and closed'at the other (see Fig. 3) At the bottom of the recess there is provided a distributing channel It, from the center of which extends a supply passage [1, which terminates as near as possible to the wall of vessel [0, as indicated at I8. An'air' duct or passage [9 extends from thetop of the head into the interior of the vesseland also terminates as near as possible to the vessel wall at 20. Within recess I5 there'is providedan applicator element 2|, which is shown in Figs]. 1', 2, 3 and l in the form of a wick; The wick material is bent upon itself, as

indicated at 22; while its ends 23; extendinginto' the interiorof' recess l5 andare spread against theinclined walls of the recess by a perforated spreading device 24, shown in detail in Fig. 5. ThlS spreading device is also of a Wedge-shaped cross section, and is preferablyprovided with a handle end 25, by means of which it may be removed from or inserted into the recess. The opposite end 25 of the spreader is arrow-shaped in order to facilitate its insertion. Channel l6 and the perforations in the spreader are designed to evenly distribute the liquid hair dye over the entire length of applicator element 2|.

Due to the fact that the interior terminus of supply passage I! is located as near as possible to the wall of vessel ill, the hair dye may enter the passage only when the vessel is tilted, as seen in Fig. 1. When the vessel is held horizontally no liquid will be passed to the applicator.

While I have found that wick material arranged in the manner indicated gives very excellent results, the same may be substituted by a hair bearing element such as shown at 2| in Fig. 6. A piece of fur bent upon itself in the manner indicated will serve the same purpose. I

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the attached portion of the head is provided with an internal thread and a central extension 21v projecting into the interior of the vessel. In Fig. '7 such extension is eliminated and the head 28 is somewhat narrower in design. Due to the elimination of extension 2'1, supply passage I1 is continued by means of tubing 29, and air duct I9 is similarlyextended by tubing 30 towards the wall of vessel it. Otherwise the arrangement and the operation of the device remains the same. In both embodiments illustrated the air and supply passages project into the vessel beyond the confine or body of the head proper.

The applicator head, the design and size of which may of course be changed to adapt the device for varying uses, is purposely designed for facilitating the application of dye over a relatively broad area, which feature is important from the standpoint of preventing streaking. When a sufficient quantity of dye is released through tilting the vessel in the manner shown in Fig. 1, it is important that for the duration ofthe next following operation, the spreading and rubbing in of the dye, no further dye material be dispensed. By either tilting the device downwards or by holding it horizontally, practically no dye material will pass to the applicator element.

In order to facilitate tilting of the device during the dyeing and dye distributing operations, the entire outer contour of the solid head body is rounded or cylindrical. The wedge-shaped re cess for the reception of the applicator element is. located along one side of and rearwards in respect to the front end of the head, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 7.

While specific forms of my invention are illustrated and described, be it understood that changes and improvements may be incorporated therein, without departing from the broad scope of my invention, expressed in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a hair dye applicator, the combination with a relatively slim-bodied supply vessel, of a closure for the latter, comprising a solid-bodied, elongated head, adapted to extend substantially transversely in respect to the, closed end of the vessel, said head having a rounded outer surface, an undercut recess provided along one side of the headlengthwise of its body, said recess being arranged rearwards in respect to the rounded front end of the head, a supply passage connecting the interior of the vessel with the recess, an air passage in the head connecting the atmosphere with interior of the vessel, an applicator element in said recess and means for spreading and wedging the element against the walls of the recess for fastening it in the latter, said means having communicating and distributing passages adapted to pass liquid through the supply passage to the applicator element, the interior terminus of the suppl passage being so arranged that when the vessel is held in a substantially horizontal position the terminus will extend above the liquid, whereas when the vessel is tilted upwards, liquid is permitted to pass to the applicator i into the vessel beyond the confine of the head body.

3. In a hair dye applicator, as set forth in claim 1; said applicator element comprising an absorbent member bent upon itself and extending with its bent portion beyond the recess, while one end of the spread portions of the applicator, in engagement with the walls of the recess, abuts with the closed end of the latter.

4. In a hair dye applicator, a vessel, a substantially cylindrical applicator head forming the closure for the vessel and extending substantially transversely in respect to the closed end of the vessel, a wedge-shaped recess provided in the head, butbeing remote from the rounded front side thereof, and having a longitudinal distributing channel, a supply passage extending from the channel through the head body into the interior and terminating near the wall of the vessel, an air duct connecting the atmosphere with the vessel interiorand also terminating near the wall of the vessel, a folded applicator element removably associated with and extending with its folded portion from said recess, and a removable wedgeshaped, perforated spreader forcing the interior ends of the applicator element against the walls of the recess, the perforations of the spreader being adapted to pass liquid from the distributing channel to the spread interior portions of the applicator element.

5. In a hair dye applicator, an elongated applicator head adapted to be removably associated with and to close the end of a relatively slim vessel, the body of the head being rounded and extending transverse beyond the closing means for the vessel, a wedge-shaped recess arranged longitudinally in the rounded head portion, but remote from its rounded front side, a distributing channel at the bottom'of the recess, an applicator element bent upon itself and removably secured in the channel, a removable, perforated, wedgeshaped spreader forcing the interior ends of the element against the walls of the recess, a supply passage extending from the channel into and towards the wall of the vessel, and an air duct directed from the upper head body into the vessel and against its wall, the perforations of the spreader being adapted to pass liquid to and distribute it over the spread interior ends of the applicator element.

WILLIAM STERN.- 

